Getaway 2020: Day 2

 Sunday morning began early for me. The day was cool and wet and I crawled out of bed just long enough to turn the coffee pot on.  We knew today would most likely be our worst day weather-wise, but we had adventures planned!  I sat in the quiet camper with my latest coffee mug and begged for just a little internet to trickle in for me.

Breaking the silence, I had a reminder of home.  A rooster was crowing!  Here, at the campground, there was a rooster!  And not just any rooster, apparently.  What kind of rooster waited until 7am to crow?  A very considerate one, I'd say.  Back at home, our roosters begin breaking the silence at 5am.  Soon, I heard Nash rustling above me and stood up to find him snuggled under his blanket with just his face peeking out to see his iPad.

After letting the kids sleep in and game, we decided to get moving.  We had things to do!  Today, we'd be chasing waterfalls.  Our first destination was Carp River Falls.  It wasn't too far from our campsite, and seemed as good a place as any to start the day.  We put our faith in the GPS, which led us off the main road and onto a tree-lined side street.  That street turned to dirt after about a mile, and that dirt road got skinnier and bumpier and curvier by the minute.  With all the rain that had fallen, who knew how deep some of those potholes could be!  When the GPS said our waterfall should be just about a half mile ahead, and the road didn't look like someplace we'd like to get the van stuck, we pulled over.  Of course, before we even started our little walk, the boys needed a pit stop. 

And then we headed down the road that was more of a trail than anything else by this point.  It sure was quiet out there with the rain lightly falling, and I wondered why no one else was out here hunting this waterfall.  Were we even headed in the right direction?  Jason was way up ahead of me, sure that around the next corner we'd find Carp River Falls.  But I couldn't even hear a river, let alone a waterfall.  And what were these tracks in the trail?  Coyote? Wolf? And then I knew.  BEAR.  More than one size of bear, too.  One place I didn't want to be when we were miles from anywhere was stuck between a mama bear and her babies, with my family stretched out over a quarter mile.  

So, trying not to alarm the kids, I yelled up to Jason that I didn't think this was the right way and this place was giving me the creeps and we REALLY needed to get back to the van ASAP.  Carp River Falls wasn't happening.

Safely back in the van, we navigated our way out of wherever we were and back onto pavement.  As Jason is known to do, he found a little party store in the middle of nowhere, and came out of that place with taquitos and stuffed jalapenos and popcorn chicken and chili burritos, which the kids loved more than a gourmet meal.  Best $20 bucks spent on the trip yet. 

Next on the list was Morgan Falls.  At least this spot had a parking area.  Kind of.  We pulled into a little turnout spot and began following a wide gravel road.  It seemed like it had just been finished, complete with guardrails on the high spots and rocky barricades along the way.

Here and there I could spot trails in the woods on either side of us and I was intrigued.  I didn't want to be up here on this road, I wanted to be down THERE.

But, alas, we really wanted to find a waterfall so we stuck to the gravel road.  After a little more than a mile of walking through the drizzling rain, there it was: Morgan Falls!

And then, somehow, I convinced them all that we should take the trail back to the van, and they agreed! YES!  I did warn them that these were bike trails and that at any sign of riders, they were to get waaaaaaay off the trail and out of the way.  On a day like today, though, we nearly had these trails to ourselves. 

The forest was gorgeous and magical and the winding trail was different around every turn.  Tiny surprises were there if you were looking, and I quickly fell behind the others, taking pictures of everything growing there.

On occasion they'd stop to play in the river...

and even managed to give me some smiles, despite the long hike and the weather.  In all, they hiked a total of nearly four miles in and out to see the falls, and I was proud of all of them!

But the day wasn't over yet.  Next up: Dead River Falls.  This spot was the most "official" waterfall of the day, with a real parking lot and a short, well-marked trail.  

The hike wasn't long, but down the stairs to the falls led us into another beautiful area. Down a steep and rooty trail we went, and then the kids jumped from rock to rock and explored everything.  It was amazing to see such beauty just below the hustle and bustle of the busy parking area and road leading to Marquette.

Upon returning to the van, I found an amazing treasure lying in the gravel and I quickly scooped it up and made it mine.

We headed back to the campground where we bought some firewood and dried off by the fire. The campground was full, but it was so quiet. Where were all the people? Aside from a few random kids, there were minimal signs of life. Maybe like us, they set up camp and went off on other adventures during the day. 

Jason made dinner for all of us tonight. He peeled, diced and seasoned potatoes and then wrapped them in foil and stuck them in the coals of the fire. 

Jason also grilled up brats and hamburgers and even threw some pizza rolls wrapped in foil into the fire for Emerson the QUEEN.  And of special note, it wouldn't have been a proper dinner if Nash's brat hadn't ended up like this:

The kids spent their time back and forth between the fire pit and the teeter-totters, a rare, old-fashioned treat they loved playing on, and no one even complained about the intermittent rain that fell throughout the afternoon.

After dinner, we roasted marshmallows and even some mini cinnamon rolls over the fire. And maybe, MAYBE, the kids got a little crazy.

We all worked up the courage to use the facilities to shower and then most of us tucked into bed early to play games. Owen, of course, stayed out by the fire despite the chilly temps and wind and didn’t come to bed until nearly midnight.